LOCAL ratepayers are suffering as a result of Carmarthenshire county council’s decision to withdrawadvertising from the South Wales Guardian, an Amman Valley councillor believes.

The local authority has not advertised since our editorial of September 19 criticising their Sainsbury’s press release.

County Hall maintain the decision to pull advertising was made purely on commercial grounds.

NowCwmaman town councillor Emyr Jenkins says rubbish left by Amman Valley householders piled up during the holidays because changes to rubbish and recycling collections over the Christmas and New Year period were not advertised in the paper.

In a letter this week he writes: “The people of the AmmanValley were disadvantaged due to the council’s fit of pique with the South Wales Guardian.

“Nowsome of us who missed the Christmas week collection will have had month-old rubbish by the next collection… and all because the Guardian has the temerity to do what its name proclaims – that is, be a guardian of the community holding the community’s servants to account.”

His views have been echoed by Guardian readers.

William Theophilus, of Cilycwm, said: “The fact there was no public notice in the paper left me thoroughly confused.

“I had to check with my father – county councillor Tom Theophilus – to find out just when my Christmas rubbish would be collected.”